Not Always Smooth

Ramel Bradley's legacy as a Kentucky Wildcat may not be that of glory, considering what the U.K. teams that he's been a part of have accomplished. After all, Ramel was a member of what many believed might be Kentucky's best recruiting class ever. A group that included McDonald's All-Americans Randolph Morris, Rajon Rondo, Joe Crawford; a recruiting class that was rated as the best in the country. Those three players, along with Ramel, were supposed to be the building blocks for several national championships in U.K.'s near future.

Unfortunately, things didn't exactly go as planned. Kentucky did manage to make it to the Elite Eight that year, held together by the leadership of Chuck Hayes. Shortly thereafter, the program began to crumble. There were so many things that happened, I will opt to just list them.

1. Something that needs to be recognized about Tubby Smith's best recruiting class are the two classes that surrounded the 2004 class. 2003 Class: Bobby Perry, Sheray Thomas, Woo, and Shagari. 2005 Class: Jared Carter and Rekalin Sims. With the exception of Sims, there really isn't even a role player in this group.
2. Joe Crawford tries to leave during the 2004-2005 season.
3. Kelenna Azubuike leaves after the 2004-2005 season.
4. Randolph Morris tries to leave after the 2004-2005 season.
5. Randolph Morris misses half of the 2005-2006 season.
6. Rajon Rondo leaves after 2005-2006 season.
7. Rekalin Sims leaves after the 2005-2006 season.
8. Adam Williams leaves after the 2005-2006 season.
9. Shagari Alleyne leaves after the 2005-2006 season.
10. Do you notice a trend here.
11. Tubby Smith leaves after the 2006-2007 season.
12. The horrific start to the Billy Gillispie era.

Weathering all of these unfortunate events, you have Ramel Bradley. 'Smooth' has been through it all, and sporting that crazy smile along the way. As Kentucky has seemingly (hopefully) turned things around this season, Ramel has grown into a complete team leader. Everybody knows that Smooth has always had the emotion of leader, but now his play is backing it up.

Ramel Bradley may not be recognized in the annals of U.K. history with the same regard as the Unforgettable's, but his contribution and dedication to the program should be remembered.

In recognition of his play in last weeks' wins over Tennessee and South Carolina, Ramel was named as the S.E.C. Player of the Week.

Senior Bowl Blues

The Senior Bowl didn't exactly go as planned for the four Kentucky Wildcats that took part in the game. Wesley Woodyard probably came out of the game in the best shape. The S.E.C.'s leading tackler led the south squad with six tackles, although Woodyard missed a key tackle late in the game.

Rafael Little started the game for the south squad, and even carried the ball on the south's first offensive possession. In the practices leading up to the game, Rafael won a lot of praise from the coaches and scouts. During the game, Little made a poor decision on choosing to catch a punt that was going over his head. After bobbling the ball, he did manage to make up several of the yards. Unfortunately, Little did not return to the game in the second half after sustaining an injury.

Jacob Tamme also started for the south team. Tamme made the first reception for his squad, but shortly after was involved in a Colt Brennan interception. Tamme finished the game with two catches.

Andre' Woodson had a tough go of things in the Senior Bowl. Andre' was the second quarterback used by the south squad. After reportedly struggling in the practices throughout the week, Woodson made two key mistakes during the game which may have hurt his draft status. The first being a fumble and the second by taking a sack in the end zone for a safety. Woodson did throw the south's first touchdown. Most analysts are now predicting Woodson to be taken in the second round of the NFL draft.

Last Chance

Tomorrow you can see Andre' Woodson, Wesley Woodyard, Rafael Little, and Jacob Tamme in U.K. helmets for the final time. All four players are on the South team in the 2008 Under Armour Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

The south team is being coach by the staff of the San Francisco 49ers. Andre' Woodson will have some familiar faces at wide receiver, including Andre Caldwell of Florida and Early Doucet of LSU. Also playing in the Senior Bowl for the fourth straight year will be Louisville's Harry Lloyd Douglas.

Andre' Woodson has been named by analysts as being the best quarterback playing in the bowl, which also includes Tennessee's Danny Ainge and Michigan's Tom Brady. Louisville's Johnny Unitas and Boston College's Doug Flutie are not playing in the game, both of whom are currently predicted to be drafted before Woodson.

Lofton's Last Laugh, Tyler's First.

Bruce Pearl and his overly talented Tennessee Volunteers come to Rupp Arena tonight to beat up on our little kitty-cats. Over the past four years, this game has become a yearly reminder that Tubby Smith was a terrible recruiter. However, this year's Tennessee team will not only feature Chris Lofton, but also former UK recruit Tyler Smith. You may not remember Tyler Smith, but he was Tubby Smith's whiff #7 in an attempt to find someone to play inside with Randolph Morris. In this episode of Kentucky recruiting mishaps, the Wildcats were beat out by mighty Iowa for Smith's services. Tubby even doctored a family tree in an attempt to form a relationship with Tyler, but the raging nightlife of Iowa City proved to be too much of a draw.

After averaging 15 points, 5 rebounds, and making the All Big Ten Freshman team, Tyler decided to transfer home to Tennessee to be closer to his ill father.

Also keep an eye out for J.P. Prince, a relative of Tayshaun.

SWEET SIXTEEN

I'd like to go ahead and get one thing out in the open before I proceed- I'm a pretty big fan of cheerleaders. In fact, I married a former cheerleader. So, when I heard the University of Kentucky Cheerleaders won their 16th National Championship this past weekend I felt compelled to write a quick note about it.

The squad was nervous only because they had to go first. In the cheer world this is a little tough because you can't sit back and watch the others to see what you have to beat. On the other hand, when you go out and put up a good routine like our beloved Cats, you get to put the heat on the rest of the competition. Sure, it's nerve racking to sit around and watch once you're done and unable to influence the outcome any further, but when you're as dominant as this squad it doesn't matter.

He's No Joke

As with the theme of this year in UK sports, good football news has trumped bad basketball news over the weekend. Joker Phillips, UK's offensive coordinator, has been named as the next head coach of the University of Kentucky. Joker will take over after Rich Brooks retires, which is estimated to be sometime around the year 2011. This is great news on several levels, and I applaud Mr. Barnhart on his foresight in this hiring.

Reason #1 - Rich Brooks is old, and old people tend to retire. You can't say enough about what Rich Brooks has done for this program. With the added continuity of Joker at the helm, Coach Brooks' endeavor to resurrect the Kentucky program will not falter after his departure. Oregon has been good since Coach Brooks left the Ducks, and hopefully Kentucky can do the same.

Reason #2 - The reason why Louisville is not good at football right now. Kentucky is not a destination school for football coaches. If we hired an outsider after Brooks' departure, a reasonable amount of success at Kentucky for the new coach would provide the opportunity to move on to bigger jobs - see Petrino. Joker bleeds blue. He is from Kentucky, and he played for Kentucky. This is where he wants to be, so hopefully success won't make him jump ship.

Reason #3 - If Barnhart had not of acted now, another school would have hire Joker as their head coach.

Two Things You May Not Know About Joker Phillips

1. He lives on the same road as our regional clothing director, Ricardo Chuevroni. Although, probably not for long.

2. Joker's wife mows their own yard. Let's see how long that lasts.

Andre the Giant

This post pays homage to my childhood WWF hero and to my favorite UK football player of all time, Andre Woodson. Today, I was fortunate enough to spend some time with the latter.

As I have mentioned before, the past two years of UK football have been a transformation, not only for the football program, but also for me as a Kentucky fan. Basketball may be king in the bluegrass, but this year's senior class brought a sense of euphoria to the commonwealth not experienced since 1998's basketball championship.

Naturally, an element of stature resonates with a group (senior class) that rises above severe adversity and succeeds at an incredibly high level. However, I found Andre to be as humble and sincerely nice person as any I have ever met. The future NFL player also found it appropriate to spend a little time with My Old Kentucky Gnome.

Happy Hollandaise

Happy Hollandaise

To all of our 1,037 readers out there, the Wildcat Textbook Blog Team would like to wish you the happiest of holidays. By blog team, I am referring to our west KY correspondent Lifer, The Goat (resident deadbeat blogger), and the 2007 Blogger of the Year Award Winner - The Blue Donkey.

Our first year has been a work in progress, as most fledgling endeavors are. However, 2008 looks to be a great year for the Wildcat Blog. First off, we will be changing the name of the blog to My Old Kentucky Gnome, incorporating a life long dream with a force of habit, shaking it twice, stirring it once, and pulling out a rabbit. The Gnome element will bring in the world wide travels of My Old Kentucky Gnome mixed with the journalistic incompetence of the Wildcat Blog. Secondly, we will be adding writers to add more flare (15 pieces is the minimum) and more posts (per Matt Jones). We will also begin interviewing past, and on occasion, former players in typical Wildcat style.

2007 Recap: This year has not been the best of years on the court for the basketball Wildcats. Off the court, however, I would argue that is has been pretty damn good. The addition of Billy Clyde will begin to yield fruit in '08 & '09 (Blue Donkey Guarantee). Beyond that, we have added the best player to play for the Wildcats since '96-'97 in Patrick Patterson. I firmly believe this kid will take us to the promise land. He has been perfect on and off the court, possessing a basketball I.Q. the equals the rest of the team and grounded upbringing that could make him the 'Not Leaving Too Early Poster Child' of the post Tubby Smith Era.

In football, the past year and the one previous have been something that I will always remember as my immersion into Kentucky football. Even though I attended UK at the beginning of the Tim Couch era, never have I seen a Kentucky football team capture the heart of the Wildcat faithful like this one has. This senior class is simply one that should be admired, and one that I hope gets it's due respect in the history of Kentucky football (retire a jersey maybe?).

And finally, let us remember that as a fan base, what happened this year regarding the basketball coach is something that most of us wanted. The outcome of this year may not be pretty, but it is a sacrifice that needed to be made. Change is not always pretty and rarely is smooth. But in the end, remember that we are not content being pretty good - we demand to be great. That is what makes Kentucky, KENTUCKY! That is what makes people like Dick Vitale rant about us. That is what makes the national media portray Kentucky as the red-headed stepchild of college basketball. That is what our opponents fear. As Rick Pitino once said, "Success is a choice, and so are hair implants."

Lots 'o News

There have been several newsworthy events since we last spoke. The Tennessee football game sort of left me in the doldrums, so I haven't really felt like posting. Also, the deviant world of textbooks is heating up, so posts may be fewer and far between.

1. Winston Guy (pictured above) gave the Wildcats a huge verbal commitment. Guy, a Lexington native, had been committed to Arkansas, but had been wavering on his decision. The departure of Houston Nutt in Fayetteville led Guy to give the Wildcats the nod this week.
2. There was a big high school basketball match up this weekend, featuring future Wildcat Darius Miller against Scotty Hopson. Hopson is rated as a top ten player in the nation by most recruiting services. Miller overwhelmingly won the battle, posting 41 points to Hopson's 17.
3. Louisville's journey to Las Vegas turned out to be less than successful. The Cardinal's ducked a possible showdown with North Carolina by dropping a game to the Stormin' Mormons of BYU. Following the loss, pictures surfaced of the Cardinal players enjoying themselves at a Vegas nightclub. When asked about the events, Louisville coach Rick Pitino stated, "I was a little disappointed in the pictures. Juan looked like he had spilled a drink on his shirt. Palacios will have to learn that he'll never be able to manage multiple relationships at one time with those type of sloppy partying habits. Other than that, I thought he looked good. The pictures of the Louisville cheerleader were better though."
4. ESPN decided to start a rumor that Coach Rich Brooks was going to retire after this season. Brooks later responded by stating he planned on being the longest tenured coach in Wildcat football history. Bill Curry responded by staring blankly in the distance with his headset on.
5. After the Kentucky loss to Tennessee, reports came out the Tennessee was stealing Kentucky's signals. When asked if this was true, Vols Coach Fulmer responded by eating an entire turkey, bones and all.
6. UK walk on Kerry Benson has left the basketball team.
7. Jodie Meeks may be out for the year. Ramon Harris returned to play last night, and Fulmer just ate another turkey.
8. It looks like Kentucky is likely headed to the Music City Bowl for the second straight year. The opponent would either be Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, or Florida State.

That is all for now. North Carolina is looming.

Doom and Gloom - Or Not!

Today is the beginning of the early signing period for college basketball, and there seems to be the typical doom and gloom going on in the Big Blue Nation. Yes, we did lose out on a recruit to Florida State. But..................... We need to put things in perspective. How quickly we forget the past ten years. Today, the first day of the signing period, Kentucky inked a 4 star player and a 5 star player (DeAndre did sign). Compared to recent history, this is an unbelievable success. Almost every high caliber prospect Kentucky has signed in the past couple of years has waited until the last second of the spring signing period to sign. This is a vast improvement, and one that we should enjoy.

Don't worry Cat fans. Billy Clyde is on our side!

Singleton Decision

As we expected, Chris Singleton committed to Florida State this afternoon, proving that money still talks in college basketball. Singleton discussed his thought process during the announcement. "What it finally came down to," Singleton said, "Was Florida State's willingness to match contributions up to $3000.00 in my Roth IRA. Kentucky's benefit package just wasn't that great. After you got beyond the bigger arena, the better coach, the bigger fan base (>100), being on TV every game, the obvious amount of playing time, the 30 million dollar practice facility, and the free put-put at the Old Testament Miniature Golf Course, Kentucky just didn't stack up with the Seminoles. Coach Bowden is a legend, and I can't wait to play for him."

In other news, DeAndre Liggins is rumored to be signing a letter of intent in the coming days.

Kentucky Bowl Predictions

What Bowl Will It Be?

Now that Kentucky has punched its ticket for a bowl game, the scenarios of what bowl it will be can be narrowed down a little. If the Cats want to go to a New Years Day Bowl, the path is simple. We just need to beat Georgia (at Georgia) and then beat Tennessee at home. If this happens, which is doubtful, the Big Blue Nation will most likely be spending New Years Day in Florida - either playing in the Capital One (Citrus) Bowl in Orlando or the Outback Bowl in Tampa.

If the Cats go 1-1, the Peach Bowl seems the likely destination. In my opinion, this would be the ideal scenario. The Cats playing in Catlanta on New Year's Eve in the comfortable confines of the Georgia Dome.

If the Cats lay an egg, we're likely going to Graceland and the Liberty Bowl. Most Kentucky fans would probably rather go to the Music City Bowl again. Unfortunately, the Liberty Bowl gets to pick before the Music City Bowl this year.

Compared to previous years, it will be a nice scenario to watch unfold.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The Good: The good is Chris Singleton. Chris is the forward out of Georgia who Kentucky desperately needs to help out on the interior next year. Chris is set to make his announcement Wednesday, picking between Kentucky and Florida State.

The Bad: The bad is Pierre Jordan, who is pictured above. Pierre is not a bad player, nor is he a great one. Today, Pierre committed to Florida State to play basketball.

The Ugly: The ugly is that Pierre's father is Chris Singleton's AAU coach. Chris also happens to live with his AAU coach. ------I don't think Singleton is going to commit Kentucky.

On a football note, we had a great time in Nashville. The Cats won their seventh game and became official for a bowl game. MY Old KY Gnome met a gnome cowgirl in the Music City, and we haven't seen him since (hence, no pictures).

On a basketball note, we were undefeated over the weekend.

Happy Birthday Billy Clyde

Gardner-Webb Coach Uri Splunkovich

Last night is Lexington, KY, Billy Clyde Gillispie celebrated his 48th birthday with 20,000 of his closest friends. It was a surprise party of sorts, as Kentucky was spanked by Uri 'The Spanker' Splunkovich and his Gardner-Webb Runnin' Ruskies. After the game, a celebratory mob of Gardner-Webb loyalists surrounded Memorial Hall, mounted it's shingled roof, and pulled the famed steeple to the ground. The crowd roared as Uri declared 'VICTORY'!

Despite the obvious carnage surrounding Memorial Hall, the Big Blue Nations greets this morning new challenges and a red behind. Who's fault was this? How did it happen? Should we have put Richie in? Everyone seems to be pointing a finger. In truth, there were many factors that led to last night's embarrassment on national television. Below we will examine why, how, who, when, where, and whoops:

1. Senior Leadership - Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley have to be able to lead this team. When the game is on the line (or we need to mount a comeback), the combined basketball IQ of the two seniors seems to go from average to remedial. On offense, these two guys can redefine ugly play. I'm not sure what the answer to this problem is. It may be graduation.
2. Talent (Parity) - Am I saying Gardner-Webb had more talent than Kentucky? No, I am not. However, Kentucky has less than they should. When the talent level of two opposing teams moves closer to equal, the more upsets like last night will occur. There were only three players on the court last night that should have been wearing a Kentucky uniform: Patrick Patterson, Alex Legion, and Jodie Meeks. The blame on this goes to Tubby Smith.
3. Coaching - We were outcoached last night. I truly believe Billy Clyde is one of the best coaches in the country. Last night, however, Uri got the best of him.
4. Fatigue - Two practices and two games in two days is TOO much. What was Billy Clyde thinking?

Now for the good news. The basketball team get two weeks off to practice and improve. Lord knows we need it.

First Impressions

Billy's boys took to the court for the first time last night. I was fortunate enough to have some lower level seats for the game. Overall, I was impressed with the performance. First of all, the post-Tubby offense was pleasant. There was a definite improvement in ball movement. The well publicized Bradley and Crawford dribbling expositions were not on display, which was a relief. Before the season started, concerned Wildcat fans kept asking if the team would be more up-tempo than the teams of the past ten years. Billy Clyde always seemed to dance around that question. Well, Gillispie showed that a potent offense doesn't have to run and gun. The Cats took good shots, moved the ball, put up 99 points, and won by 35. Granted, we were supposed to win by a similar margin, but it is a hell of a lot better than beating Athletes in Action on a last second 3 point shot.

Best performances:
1st - Jodie Meeks (obviously). This kid may be the real deal. NBA - let's hope not for a few more years.
2nd - Patrick Patterson - Didn't start and had over 20 point and 9 rebounds. As a freshman, this kid is far better than Randolph Morris. I only wish I could see him play with Randolph this year.
3rd - Joe Crawford - He didn't sulk about not starting and had a solid game.

Biggest disappointment - Alex Legion - I really expect this kid to score a bunch of points as a Wildcat, but it didn't happen last night.

Biggest not too surprised - Ramon Harris and Mark Coury - Maybe Billy Clyde was trying to make a statement with these two starting. When the regular season rolls around, I don't see it.

Overall - I give the team and the coach an A.

Coury's Cats

We knew the starting lineup for tonight's game might be a little wacky, but I definitely wasn't expecting this (Bradley, Meeks, Harris, Coury, and Stevenson). Patrick Patterson's upper respiratory issues have apparently kept him out of the lineup. However, the biggest issue might be how Joe Crawford reacts to not starting. One would hope Joe takes the benching as a challenge to up his intensity. Given Joe's previous reactions to adversity, I wouldn't be surprised if things get worse before they get better.

On a football note, UK has lost Marcus McClinton for the remainder of the regular season. He might be able to play in the bowl game, if the Cats make it to one.

In recruiting, Chris Singleton has set a date in early November to announce his college decision. The finalist for his services are Florida State and Kentucky. Singleton is supposedly visiting this Saturday to see the Cats play against Seattle. Singleton would be a huge get for Billy Clyde, making the 2009 class of DeAndre Liggins, Darius Miller, and Singleton a top ten class. This definitely would be a good start in recruiting for Gillispie. If Kentucky misses on Singleton, expect to hear of a commitment from Garret Stutz shortly after. Stutz is the 7'0 center from Kansas City, but he definitely is not the impact player that Singleton would be.

Starting Five?

The season starts in about 24 hours. Unlike Wildcat squads of the past, there is no clear starting lineup for this team. Billy Clyde's young team is guard heavy, with only Patrick Patterson as a clear starter on the interior. Rumors are that Joe Crawford has not yet met Gillispie's expectations, as well as being hampered by off-season knee surgery. Ramel Bradley is reportedly Billy's appointed team leader. Jodie Meeks is on the verge of exploding into a prime time player. If Bradley, Meeks, and Patterson are definite starters, what other two players will join them?

Vote to your right.

It Begins

With the loss to Mississippi State this past weekend, UK football finally lets the focus of the Big Blue Nation shift to its natural object of affection - basketball. Billy Clyde is probably thankful for the success of the football Cats, as Rich Brooks and company have allowed Gillispie's ascension to the throne be less obsessed over than a normal Kentucky basketball regime change.

On Wednesday, the University of Kentucky begins a basketball season with a refreshed outlook on life. Billy Clyde Gillispie begins his tenure as the coach of the Wildcats. In many ways, Gillispie has already found success at Kentucky. The Wildcats start the season in the top 25. Considering the talent Tubby Smith left behind, being ranked in the preseason is quite an accomplishment. Could you imagine this years team without Patrick Patterson and Alex Legion?

The Wildcats won't have long to get prepared. After the first two games, the young cats will (hopefully) find themselves in Madison Square Garden facing a two game combination of Connecticut, Memphis, and Oklahoma. The rest of the Wildcats non conference schedule will be a mix of cupcakes and top ten teams.

The conference schedule will be a typical one, with the exception of the Florida Gators. The cats should take a couple games from the defending champions, while Tennessee is likely to dominate the conference.

OFFICIAL BLUE DONKEY REGULAR SEASON PREDICTION: 23 Wins, 8 Losses

The Home Stretch

The Kentucky football team is now entering the home stretch of their schedule. If the Cats can hold off Mississippi State this weekend, a duly needed bye week awaits them. Injuries have been piling up for the Wildcats over the course of the past couple weeks. After the break, Kentucky will play at Vandy, at Georgia, and finish with Tennessee at home. For the final four games, U.K. will probably be the better team on paper. However, two road victories will not be an easy task.

I predict the Wildcats will finish the season winning three of the last four. The Cats will be victorious over Mississippi State and Tennessee, dropping one of two on the road. If I'm right, the Cats finish 9-3 in a season where the schedule was ridiculously tough. Let's have it!

Thursday News and Notes

Tim Tebow seems to be doing well on and off the field. Little Timmy and the Florida Gators visit the Wildcats on Saturday, along with the ESPN College Game Day Show. The set for the show will be set up in front of U.K.'s Young Library. The show will air twice during the day on Saturday. Be on the lookout for some creative signs in the background from the big blue faithful.

In basketball recruiting news, Chris Singleton has dropped Tennessee and Georgetown from his lists of schools. That leaves the Wildcats battling Florida State for Singleton's services.
Historically, the Wildcats have not fared well in recruiting battles against F.$.U.

After a lazy performance in a pick-up game after Big Blue Madness, Ralph Sampson III's scholarship offer has been pulled by Billy Clyde.

After visiting last weekend, seven footer Garret Stutz has U.K. at the top of his list. This makes Stutz and Singleton the two finalists for U.K.'s open scholarship left for the 2008 class. Singleton is probably the priority of the two.